Ventilating device for water closets



June 1948. H. FITZGERALD VENTILATING DEVICE FOR WATER .CLOSETS Filed May 28, 1945 I N V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY Patented June 22, 1948 iUNlTfEiD STATE-S PNFENT' ices-res 'VENTILATING DEVICE FOR? WATER 'CLOSETS Haroldfiitzgerald, Detroit .M'ich Application 'May"28, 1945', "Seriaf'No; 596;387

- iiGl'aims.

"The purpose I ofmy invention is to :provide an improvement which may. be incorporated into the flush'boxes conventionally used in connection-With the toilets; the specific object of the improvement being to equip the ordinary water closets with means of withdrawing from thetoilet bowl cfoul' air during the use thereof.

' Another purpose ofmyimprovement is to incorporate therein a water tI'EUp normally interposed between thebowl and the drain" pipe through which said foul air may be disposed, said trap being-provided with semi-automatic means to open same. when desired, for passage of foul air.

"*Stillamotherobject of my invention is to provide means toeffect the above said purposes by a device of simple and inexpensive structure, callin'gbu't for slight-"changes in 'the construction in the present water closets.

Irshallnow describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Fig.- I is aisectional view of aflush box showing the. side elevation. of .the apparatus therein; includingmy improvement; parts of said apparatus and 'oiimy improvements being'shown in section. Fig; 21 is a sectional view of a toilet bowl-and aflush-box connected thereto, with a side elevationof' a partoi my improvementtherein.

Fig. 3' is a fragmentary plan view, in amen.- l-arged size, of means to actuate said apparatus shown. in Fig. 1.

' :Fig. 4' is aside elevation, in an enlarged size, of adetail pertaining to a valve, being a'part'i-of my improvement.

zsimilar numerals refer throughout the several views.

The improvement of my invention is located within the flush box Ill mounted upon a toilet bowl; H-, as shown in Fig. 2, said bowl being provided with a conventional cover l2. As arule, the flush box II] is partly filled with water which isconveyed; under pressure, from a supply of water such as, for example, municipal water mains, through a pipe l3 to a head 'I 5, including a goose neck [6, which terminates in a spout H. The flow- E water is controlled by means-ofa va-lve M within said head l5 andactuated by means'of a; float-l8 supported by a. rod I9 and hingedlvconnected at in a position to bear againstisaid valve. From said flush box the watertherein is di'schargedinto the bowl ll bymeans of atubular member 2 I provided at its uppere'nd with akseat 22for a closing ball 23, which isdispos'ed at the lower endear alstem 24. A guiding to similar parts brackti liiserves'twmaintainthe-stem -in itszup= 555 right position. The stem; provi'ded'at its upper end with. a-loop 26; is suspendedfrom a :rod, 21, having at its lower end arr eye 28' enclosing said stem-24, The rod is.. ivotallyconnected to. a bar 29 which; in turn, is 'pivotally afiixed bymeans of a pin- 30 to anactuatingrleverSl. The lever is controlled by a h'andle233andzincludes a. lug 34 disposed transversel-yrunder' said bar 2 9.

Returning now to membertzzl, serving. to discharge water dromthe-fiush box, i wish to point out that s'aid membersbranches' into a conduit 35, which opensiatits lower e'ndinto said member 2 l1; bel'cw the level. of 5 said closing ball :23, and which is connected at itsuppera end to a ventilating tube.-1 36. i Thezl'ast-named tube rises 'upwardly, .formsa coil 31,, and'turnsrdownwardly, the downward. portion 38.. of saidtube. extending through the bottom-of flushcbox Hi into an outlet 39 in the bowl. member H of the water. closet to a drain passageflt therein; The:coil.3l forms a complete circular convolution including a substantially semicircular loop which. is a continuation of a? tube 36 and a semicircular loop. where itconnects to drain pipe 38. Here I wish to point out an 'important'limitation, namely, that .the return loop. into drain hpipe 1.38 is at; a: somewhat higher level than'the initial loop of the coil which connects to ventilating tube 36 and which in Figure 1 isindicated bynum'eral 54. The respective levels are: shown in Figure 2, where the lower level is indicated by numerals-52 .andathe higher level by 53. Thisarrangement allows'drainage of water from the coil through tube into bowl I I. It is the above-said ventilating tube 36' including: coil 3-! and a" downward portion 381 of said tube. that serve as a means by which thevolume of air-withinthe bowl may be withdrawn therefromand discharged int'othe drain passage '40;

- I wish-to add that an elbow-shaped overflow 81301117741 is connected to tube 36 at the point where itturns' tOiOrm-said coil 3?; the outer end of'theispoutbeing locatedsubstantially below said level's '52 ands-Hand being immersed in water 'filling upt'ankslfli Thewwater forms a seal'to prevent-suctiomcrf air'from the tankinste'ad of'from the bowl as abovementioned.

Ishall now-'desm'ibein moredetail the means devised by meior'theipurposeof effecting withdrawalotair iromsaid bowl. It will be noticedthat. head I5 on top lof pipe. 13 is connected by means of a tube 42 with the-top of coil 31. This arrangement permits diversionof water f rom said pipe I 3'-int'o the c0-il inorder'that' the same may be' filled up -to the level of i overflow therein. i It will be understood that-said tube d' zlw-ill-aconvey water into said coil only when valve l4, controlling inflow of water from pipe l3 into the tank, will be open. It will be also understood that, normally, the coil will be filled up with water to the level of overflow therein and that it is this water in the coil that forms a trap and serves as a seal between the ventilating tube 36 and the drain passage 40. Obviously, in order to withdraw the foul air from the bowl, said coil must be emptied. I shall now describe the means for that purpose.

The means include an inversely positioned, U- shaped siphon 43, one leg of said siphon being located at the bottom of coil 31, the other leg 44 being open into tube 38, while the looped end of the siphon will be located above the dis-charge level of the coil into ventilating tube 36 or return tube 38. The location of that looped end of the siphon above said levels of overflow is necessary to prevent accidental self -siphonage.

Returning now to the inlet pipe I3, I wish to point out that it opens into a pipe 45 leading to a valve 46, and that the tube 41 leading from the valve is equipped at its outer end with a noz-' zle 48, the outer end of said nozzle entering leg 44 of said siphon 43. Valve 46 is controlled by means of a level 49, the latter being provided with arms 50 extending laterally in opposite directions and turned outwardly at their respective ends, said ends bein marked I Having described the operative parts of my improvement, I shall now describe its operation. It will be assumed that the flush box is filled with water to the level ordinarily required in conventional flush boxes, also that the coil 31 is filled with water to the full of its capacity and that the open end of spout 4| will be immersed in Water. Being thus filled with water, the coil forms a liquid seal between the bowl of the toilet and between the drain pipe for said toilet. When the toilet is in use and when it is desired that the air LfI'Om the toilet be withdrawn, the water from the coil has to be removed. In order to accomplish this, all that is necessary is to push handle 33 upwardly. This Will cause lever ill to swing in a downward direction from the bearing 32 against the lower arm 50 of lever 49, swinging said lever downwardly to open valve 46. Water delivered under pressure through inlet pipe I3 will be allowed to force its way through said valve, through pipe 41 into the discharge nozzle 48, causing the outgoing stream of water to create a suction within siphon 43, said suction being sufficient to remove allthe water from coil 31 and to create a current of air from the bowl through said coil into the downward section .38 of the ventilating tube and finally into the drain passage 4c. The quantity of water so used for said spray through nozzle 48 is really very small and said discharge may be continued as long asthe water closet is in use. It will be understood that prior to the operation of the nozzle 48, the water level in the flush box I0 is high enough so that the mouth of spout 4| is immersed in said water, as otherwise suction created by the operation of said nozzle would cause the withdrawal of air not from the bowl but from the volume of air between the mouth of spout 4| and the level of water within said flush box. The operative position of the handle, lever 3i and its engagement of lever 49 which operates valve 46, is shown in Fig. 4. Later on, when the bowl is to be flushed, handle 33 is swung downwardly from its bearing 32. This causes the actuating lever 3| to swing upwardly so that it bears against the upper arm 50 of lever 49, resulting in the closure of valve 46. At the same time, however, lug 34 serves to raise bar 29, thus causing ball 23 to be lifted from its seat 22 on member 2 I. This allows water accumulated in the flush box to rush into bowl ll. Upon the flushing of the bowl, the flush box 10 again becomes filled with water by means of pipe 13 through spout ll, a quantity of water being deliv ered by means of tube 42 into the coil to fill same as above stated. The level of water within the box is regulated by float l8 and a valve in head l5, these being the means commonly used in flush boxes.

It will be obvious that some changes may be made in the construction of my improvement without deviating from the inventive principle disclosed therein. What I, therefore, wish to claim is as follows:

1. In combination with a flush box for bowls of toilets, an improvement of the kind described, comprising a ventilating tube extending upwardly from the upper end of a bowl into the flush box, forming a coil at its upper end and turning downwardly into a drain pipe leading from said toilet bowl, said coil including a laterally extending overflow spout leading from the upper portion of the coil to a point below the opening of the coil into the ventilating tube, a valve controlled tube connected to a water supply to admit water into said coil, a U-shaped siphon to withdraw water therefrom, the siphon having an intake leg within the lower portion of the coil, the looped end above'the level of discharge from the coil into the drain pipe and an outlet leg within the downwardly extending section of the ventilating pipe leading to a drain, a nozzle within the outlet end of the siphon, a pipe to convey water under pressure to said nozzle, and valve means for said pipe controlling the flow of water to the nozzle to form a spray in a downward direction, causing suction within the coil to clear same of water therein.

2. In combination with a flush box for the bowl of a toilet, ventilating means comprising, a ventilating tube leading from said bowl into the'flush box, forming therein a vertically disposed coil and including a downwardly extending portion leading to a drain pipe from said bowl the opening of the coil into the ventilating tube being at a lower level than the opening of the coil into the drain pipe, said coil including a laterally extending overflow spout leading from the upper portion of the coil to a point below, the opening of the coil into th ventilating tube, pipe means to admit water into the coil, to form a liquid seal therein between the bowl and the drain, a U- I shaped siphon having its intake end in the lower portion of the coil, the looped end above the level of discharge from the coil into the drain pipe, and having its outlet end in the portion of the ventilating tube leading to the drain, a spray nozzle in the outlet end of the siphon, pipe means to supply water under pressure to said nozzle, and a valve to control the release of water into said nozzle, to create a spray and to cause a suction thereby within the coil to draw out the water therefrom.

3. In connection with a flush box ior toilet bowls, a ventilating tube leading from the upper portion of the bowl of a toilet into the flush box, said. tube including a vertically disposed c'oil therein, and a downwardly extending portion opening into a drain pipe zfrom said toiletbowl the opening cat the coil into the ventilating tube being at a lower level than the opening of the coil into the vdrain pipe, said coil including a laterallyextending overflow spout leading from the upper portion of the coil to a point below the opening of the coil into the ventilating tube, pipe means connecting the coil with water supply means, a siphon to withdraw water from the coil, the siphon having an intake end within the lower portion of the coil, the looped end above the level of discharge from the coil into the drain pipe, and a discharge end, equipped with a nozzle and disposed in the downwardly extending portion of the ventilating tube, pipe means to supply water under pressure to the nozzle to form a spray, downwardly towards the drain pipe, the spray creating a suction to remove water from the coil and to cause movement of air from the bowl through the coil into said drain pipe, valve means to cause a iiow of Water from the above said water supply means into the nozzle and valve means controlled by a float to fill the coii with water.

4. In combination with a flush box for toilet bowls, a ventilating tube leading from the upper portion of the bowl into the upper portion of the flush box, said tube including 'a vertically disposed coil therein, and a downwardly extending portion opening into the drain pipe cfor said toilet the opening of the coil into the ventilating tube being at a lower alevel than the opening of the coil into the drain pipe, said coil including a laterally extending overflow spout leading from the upper 6 portion of the coil to a point below the opening of the coil into the ventilating tube, pipe means to convey water into the coil from a water supply, under pressure, to create a water seal within said coil, a U-shaped siphon to withdraw the water from the. coil, the siphon having an intake end within the lower portion of the coil, the looped end above the level of discharge from the coil into the drain pipe, and an outlet end equipped with a nozzle disposed within the down- Wardly extending portion of the ventilating tube, pipe means to supply water from said supply to the nozzle to form a spray, the spray creating a suction to remove Water from the coil and to cause movement of air fnom the bowl, through the coil into the drain pipe, and manual valve means to direct a flow of water to the coil or to the nozzle, as desired.

HAROLD FITZGERALD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,257,331 Dufi Feb. 26, 1918 2,395,236 Sohotthoefer Feb. 19, 1946 

